Holding means for pipes and accessories



, C. W. MEYER HQLDING MEANS FOR PIPES AND ACCESSORIES March 31,1970

Filed April 22, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVV'ENTOR. 5 C(R TLS WMEYER Y fiMCMM ATTORNEYS March 31, 1970 c. w. MEYER HOLDING MEANS FOR PIPES AND ACCESSORIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1968 MIMI -1 1 wll l 7 u u L Z w u n n a a l m I MJH 3 n W Z Z, n n T Z l w t|l w M M [N -':'NTOR. CuRT/s WMEYER BY flmandfijawq ATTORNEY-.5

United States Patent O 3,503,520 HOLDING MEANS FOR PIPES AND ACCESSORIES Curtis W. Meyer, County Road K, Hager City, Wis. 54014 Filed Apr. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 723,034 Int. Cl. A24f 9/14; A47f 7/00 US. Cl. 21160 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing having a central cavity for pipe accessories covered by a sliding ash tray and racks along each side of the housing parallel with the direction of movement of the ash tray for holding a plurality of pipes in upstanding positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In general, avid pipe smokers are prone to own a plurality of pipes and utilize different ones of the pipes for different ocasions. Also, it is common to allow pipes to rest for one or more days between usings. Further, it is desirable to maintain all of the pipes and accessories at a single location for convenience.

Description of the prior art In the prior art various types of cases and holders are utilized wherein the accessories and pipes are maintained in a helter-skelter relationship and it is inconvenient and time consuming to search through the material to find the desired accessory or pipe. Further, the pipes are generally maintained in a position whereby they do not dry properly and quickly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to holding means for pipes and accessories having a housing with an upwardly opening accessory receiving cavity therein, an ash tray slideably engaged thereover and rack means attached to sides of the housing to maintain a plurality of pipes in an upstanding relationship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved holding means for pipes and accessories.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide holding means including a convenient central accessory receiving cavity closable by means of an overlying slideably mounted ash tray.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide holding means having a plurality of dish-like means extending outwardly from the lower surface and adapted to receive the bowls of a plurality of pipes and support means spaced vertically thereabove adapted to receive the stems of the plurality of pipes to maintain them in an upstanding relationship for proper drying and convenient storing and retrieval.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the present invention having a plurality of pipes stored thereing FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective generally from above of the present invention with the ash tray partly re moved;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in top plan of the 3,503,520 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 ice present invention, parts thereof removed and shown in section;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view as seen from the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view as seen from the irregular line 55 in FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings the numeral generally designates a housing having a generally rectangular or box-like configuration with a central cavity 11 therein. The housing 10 has a pair of ends 12 and 13 and upstanding longitudinal sides 14 and 15 extending therebetween and projecting upwardly a substantial distance above the ends 12 and 13. A horizontal groove 16 is formed in the inner surface of the side 14 immediately above the upper edges of the ends 12 and 13 and extends the length thereof. A similar groove 17 is formed in the inner surface of the side 15.

A dish-like projection 20, formed as an integral part of the housing 10, extends horizontally outwardly from adjacent the lower surface of the housing 10 at the lower edge of the side 14. A similar dish-like-projection 21 extends outwardly from the lower edge of the side 15. Each of the projections 20 and 21 has a plurality of upwardly projecting, ridge-like partitions 22 which divide the dish-like projections 20 and 21 into a plurality of depressions 23 adapted to receive the bowl of a pipe 25. In this embodiment the dish-like projections 20 and 21 project downwardly below the central portion of the housing 10 and form feet for supporting the housing 10. Further, the lower surface of each of the projections 20 and 21 has a strip of padding material 26 aifixed thereto to prevent marring of furniture surfaces. In the present embodiment the housing 10 and projections 20-21 are formed in a single integral body, by molding or the like, but it should be understood that those skilled in the art may modify or alter this construction and all such changes which perform the functions of this invention come within the scope thereof.

A generally rectangularly shaped ash tray 30 is slideably engaged in the grooves 16 and 17 in a generally horizontal orientation. The longitudinal dimension of the ash tray 30 is such that the ends thereof are supported by the ends 12 and 13 of the housing 10 and the entire opening of the cavity 11 is closed when the ash tray 30 is in place. The ash tray 30 is slideable in the grooves 16 and 17 and may be completely removed for emptying or partial- 1y removed, as illustrated in FIG. 2, to allow access to the accessories stored in the cavity 11 therebelow.

An elongated support member is formed from a generally retangular sheet of any suitable material. The length of the support member 35 is approximately equal to the length of the side 14 of housing 10 and the support member 35 is bent about the longitudinal axis into a generally arcuate shape. The support member 35 is affixed to the inner surface of the side 14 and over the upper edge thereof so as to extend from approximately the upper edge of the groove 16 horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of the side 14. Four spaced apart notches 36 are formed in the horizontally outwardly extending portion of the support member 35 so that a notch 36 lies generally vertically above each of the depression-s 23 in the dish-like projection 20. The notches 36 are of a size to easily receive a stem 37 of substantially any pipe. In this embodiment the inner surface of the support member 35 extends vertically a short distance substantially parallel with the inner surface of one of the longitudinal sides of the ash tray 30-. A similar support member 38 is aifixed to the inner surface and upper edge of the side 15. In the preferred embodiment the support members 35 and 38 are formed from a relatively resilient material so that pipes can be tapped thereagainst to loosen ashes and allow them to drop into the tray 30. The material should be such that neither the support members 35 and 38 nor the pipes will be damaged during this tapping process.

Thus, the depressions 23 in the dish-like projections 20 receive the bowls 25 of a plurality of pipes and the stems 37 of the pipes are engaged in the notches 36 of the support members 35 and 38 to maintain the pipes in an upstanding orientation. This upstanding orientation of the pipes facilities the storage and retrieval thereof as well as maintaining the pipes in a desirable orientation for the proper drying thereof. The support members 35 and 38 are so positioned relative to the ash tray 30 that no ashes or other foreign material can cling to the upper edges of the ash tray 30 or enter the grooves 16 and 17 when the ash tray 30 is in the closed position. Further, the ash tray 30 acts as a cover for the cavity 11 so that pipe accessories can be conveniently stored therein. The overall holding means is, therefore, conveniently formed as a storage and holding means for all of the equipment and necessities of smoking a pipe.

While I have shown and described a specific embodigrooves in a generally horizontal relationship overlying said cavity and forming a cover to close said cavity;

(0) horizontally outwardly extending dish-like means affixed to said housing adjacent the lower surface thereof having a plurality of partitions for receiving the bowls of a plurality of pipes therein; and

(d) horizontally outwardly extending support means afiixed to said housing in vertically spaced relationship above said dish-like means having a plurality of generally vertically oriented openings therethrough for receiving the stems of the plurality of pipes, said support means including inwardly extending arcuate shaped portions which overlie the adjacent edges of the ash tray and mate therewith for forming a substantially upwardly and outwardly extending continuation thereof.

2. Holding means as set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing has dish-like means and support means extending outwardly from at least two opposed sides of the housing and parallel with the grooves therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,405 10/1937 Phillips l3l239 2,348,442 5/1944 Banck l3l-239 3,233,951 2/1966 Deal 21l60 3,356,229 12/1967 Rhymes 2ll60 JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

